


Time Traveling Space Man

by SharkGirl



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Barebacking, Confusion, Happy Ending, Hook-Up, Kissing, M/M, Mistaken Identity, Misunderstandings, Multi, Mutual Pining, Pining, Sexual Content, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 09:06:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23348893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: The paladins wormhole to Earth and are overjoyed.Until they realize it's a completely different time, years before they were born.Trying to locate the desert "base" where they hid before finding Blue, Lance runs into a grizzled young firefighter with a somewhat familiar face.
Relationships: Keith's Father/Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 215





	Time Traveling Space Man

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to share my Twitter thread here. Featuring a time traveling Team Voltron and a young Keith's dad. 
> 
> Beta'd by my amazing followers on Twitter.  
> Please enjoy! ♡

Lance was sweating. Sweating! The black fabric of his suit was sticking to him like a second skin. 

He should have stayed in his lion, but the moment they started to explore this Earth (Their Earth, but in a completely different time, as it turned out) their lions completely freaked out and flew in every direction, separating the paladins. 

Just great. 

Blue landed in some random desert, smack dab in the middle of nowhere, and then powered down. Completely unresponsive. 

So, foolishly, Lance left the safety of his lion and ventured out into the unforgiving heat of the desert. 

Which kind of looked familiar. 

Like those mountains in the distance. The ones Lance could see from his dorm room at the Garrison. 

The Garrison! 

Maybe it was still around! Or... since the castle projected that they landed some time before they were all born (no perfect matches to their biometrics anywhere on Earth) maybe the Garrison was already built? 

How'd the Alma Mater song go again? Founded when?? 

Anyway, Lance set off in the direction in which the Garrison should have been...

... only to find a construction site. With not a soul present. And it was starting to get disgustingly hot. 

Damn. 

Oh! But wait! What about that shack Keith had dragged them to back before Voltron? That looked super old. It might already be built. And maybe it was new! 

So, with hope filling his chest, Lance set off in the direction of Keith's desert shack.

The place they hid after saving Shiro...

Ugh. Lance wiped the sweat from his brow. Now he was hot AND he missed them.

Not that they cared that he was gone. Probably.

He groaned. He was so overheated, he wasn't even making sense. 

He just needed to find some shelter. And fast. 

Blurry, shimmering pools appeared on the horizon as Lance trudged forward. 

He did not remember the shack being /this/ far from the Garrison. Then again, they'd been speeding on Keith's hover bike. 

Keith... Lance wondered what he was doing right now. Where had Red taken him?

And was Shiro okay? Were they together?

They always ended up together...

Lance stumbled and nearly lost his balance. Stupid sand.

In the distance, Lance swore he spotted a house. But it was hard to tell. He squinted against the harsh sunlight as another wave of dizziness hit him. 

Then the desert turned on its side as Lance lost his footing and fell. 

He blinked his eyes slowly, the world refusing to come into focus. 

But a cloud must have passed in front of the sun, because he was suddenly in the shade. He turned his head and could have sworn...

"... Keith?" 

Then, he was being lifted off the ground. He struggled to stay conscious, but the easy gait lulled him and he let his eyes slip closed. 

When Lance came to, he only had a millisecond of enjoying the cooler air of a bedroom before he began to panic. 

He'd passed out during a mission. He was found by a strange man and, by the looks of it, taken to said strange man's home. 

Lance sat up in bed, his vision spotty for a moment as the blood rushed in his ears. 

He quickly took inventory of himself. He was still wearing most of his armor. Only his chest plate and boots were off and, thankfully, they were resting on a chair beside the bed. 

Lance crept out from beneath the covers and redressed himself, making sure his bayard was at the ready. 

The stranger may have been a fellow human - and had seemingly saved Lance's life - but that didn't mean this wasn't an elaborate trap set up by the Galra to steal their lions. 

Lance tiptoed out of the bedroom and down the hall. The house appeared empty, but he didn't let his guard down. 

It was then he heard something coming from just outside. A steady chopping noise. And so, releasing his breath in a woosh, Lance opened the back door. 

And there, taking a quick break to wipe the sweat from his brow, was the hottest man Lance had ever laid eyes on. 

Shiro and Keith sort of had their own categories. 

He was built. Like, really built. And it was obvious because he wasn't wearing a shirt. His chiseled chest was smooth and covered in a sheen of sweat. His pants hung low on his hips, hinting at something even more appealing. But Lance didn't have a chance to check him out further because his mystery savior cleared his throat, drawing Lance's gaze to his face, which was partially hidden by the brim of a dark brown cowboy hat. He had stubble on his chin which Lance only noticed when the other smiled - more of a smirk, really.

And, boy, did it seem familiar.

"You're up," he stated, voice thick with a southern accent. And Lance didn't swoon, okay? Well, maybe a little.

"Y-Yeah," Lance managed, lowering his bayard. "How long was I out?" 

The man lowered his axe, setting it down on a stump before resting his gloved hands on the end of the handle. He thumbed up the brim of his hat, revealing sparkling hazel eyes. "Thirty minutes. An hour, tops."

Lance wet his lips. Not ideal, but also not as bad as it could have been. "Okay. Cool." He rubbed the back of his neck. Ugh, he was still all sweaty and gross. "Thanks," he said, focusing on the man again. "For saving me."

The man smiled. "Shoot. It would have been pretty darn indecent of me to leave ya out there."

Damn, that accent.

Focus, Lance!

"So, uh-" Lance looked everywhere on the handsome, half-naked man, his gaze finally settling on his hat. "You got a shower I could borrow, Tex?"

No need to stay sweaty.

"Tex?" the man questioned with a deep chuckle. 

Lance /didn't/ swoon.  
Much. 

Lance tapped his own head. "The hat," he replied with an easy smile. In hindsight, Lance should have grabbed his helmet from Blue. But it wasn't as if he could use it. The lions were down, so communication was down. Even if the castle ship was somehow still up and running, he couldn't call them. 

He'd have to settle for relying on the kindness of strangers. 

Well, one stranger in particular. 

"Unless you'd prefer I call you by your real name?" Lance urged. 

"Tex suits me just fine," he answered, stretching his arms over his head, his pants sliding just a hair lower on his hips. "That's what they call me at work." 

"Work?" Lance questioned, eyeing the axe - in his periphery, because, let's face it, he was /eyeing/ Tex's hipbones - "And what's that? Lumberjack?"

Tex snorted. "No, I'm just chopping some wood for the fireplace later," he explained. "It gets awful cold out here at night." 

It was hard to believe, considering how terribly hot the desert was during the day. But Lance vaguely recalled needing a jacket during his evenings at the Garrison.

"I'm a firefighter by trade," Tex went on. "But not the best medic. I'm actually pretty relieved that you're up and about." 

Lance smiled. Aww, the hot, grizzled firefighter had been worried about him. 

"Aww, it'll take a little more than heat stroke to take me down," Lance boasted, flexing his bicep. "Paladins are made of tougher stuff than that." 

"A paladin," Tex hummed. "Is that what you are?" He chuckled. "And here I thought you were a space man."

Lance cleared his throat. Tex may have saved him, but he probably shouldn't reveal too much until he can get in contact with the rest of his team. 

"You with the Garrison?" Tex continued when Lance didn't answer. "I see they're building a school." 

Lance could only watch as Tex spoke. There was something so familiar about him and it put Lance at ease. He felt like he could trust him.

Still, he kept his cards close to his chest.

"Anyway, you said you needed a shower, right?" Tex broke Lance from his thoughts. "The pump's on the fritz, but we should have enough water pressure for one." 

Lance took in Tex's half-naked, glistening form. He couldn't in good conscience, deprive a sweaty, hardworking man a shower, now could he? 

"Just one?" Lance drew closer, unable to shake the familiarity and innate trust he felt when in Tex's presence. "Well..." He pinched a finger of one of Tex's thick gloves and pulled it off, tossing it onto the stump. "Maybe we could share?" 

In hindsight, hooking up with the stranger who saved your life while you were stranded on your own planet - but in the past - was probably a bad idea.

But, hey, Tex was into it. 

"I thought you might have crashed here," Tex mouthed against Lance's neck. And, boy, did that feel good. How long had it been since Lance had gotten any? 

"You got a thing for space men?" Lance teased, loving the dark blush that bloomed on the other's stubbled face.

Instead of answering, Tex pressed their lips together.

Lance smiled against his mouth, his boots getting caught on the corner of the rug. Thankfully, Tex caught him before he lost his balance. 

"Careful there, Mr. Paladin," Tex rasped. Then his face grew serious. "You sure you're all right?" 

Man, that expression was especially familiar. But Lance shook his head. 

"I'm fine," he promised. "Though I'd better get these boots off," he said with a wink. "They're a hindrance." 

Tex chuckled. "Sure are." Then he ducked down, wrapping strong hands around Lance's calf and ankle. "Allow me, um...?" 

"Lance."

"Allow me, Lance." And well, Lance wasn't about to argue with the oh so helpful man. And he didn't let him stop at his boots either. 

It was lonely in space, okay? 

But maybe it was even lonelier in the middle of the desert. 

The warm spray from the shower felt cool against his heated skin. Maybe Lance had gotten heat stroke, after all. But he wasn't really focused on that at the moment.

No, he was far too busy enjoying his company.

"Wow, your skin is soft," Tex murmured into his shoulder as his big, rough hands skimmed over Lance's slick body.

And Lance preened. Finally, /someone/ appreciated all the work he put into his skincare regimen.

They didn't have long. Tex warned that the pump would only provide enough water pressure for one shower.

"Let's get cleaned up first," Lance suggested, gripping Tex's hands and placing them on his chest. He turned in the other's embrace and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Then we can take this to the bed."

Lance had never seen a man wash so fast. 

He even helped Lance with his conditioner. Which, for some reason, smelled familiar. Like a distant memory. 

Tex clearly used it, too, since his admittedly unkempt hair felt silky when Lance buried his hands in it, pulling Tex in for another kiss. 

They blindly maneuvered themselves toward the bed, kissing and nipping sensitive skin as they went, until they fell heavily onto the mattress, their bodies bare and their skin still damp.

"Didn't think this was how my day'd end," Tex noted, breaking the kiss to give Lance a once over. "Not that I'm complainin', mind ya." 

Oh, so his accent got thicker in bed. Lance would lock that away for later. 

However, instead of focusing on how hot that was, Lance gave Tex a teasing smile. "Oh, sugar," he teased, an attempt at mimicry, "Your night is far from over." 

And then, seeming to forget that he was stranded and separated from the rest of his team, Lance proceeded to give his savior a proper 'thank you.' 

Like Lance had flipped a switch, Tex rolled them over, bracing himself on his arms as he pressed their hips together and, wow, okay. 

So, maybe Lance had been trying to be polite in the shower, but now he craned his neck and was unabashedly staring between Tex's legs. 

Whoa. 

Above him, Tex cleared his throat and Lance managed to tear his gaze away from his, ahem, package to look him in the eye. "See, somethin' ya like?" Tex asked, voice gravelly, but a flush on his cheeks.

Lance's lips curled up into a grin as he slid his hands up and down Tex's muscular arms before wrapping his own around the other's neck. "Yup." Lance let the 'p' pop. "So..." He glanced down again with a purpose. "You got any-"

"Lube?" Tex asked. "I'm a grown man who lives in the middle of the desert." He paused and when Lance didn't immediately catch on, he continued. "Top drawer." Tex motioned toward his nightstand with his chin.

"Good," Lance replied, angling his body so he could stretch enough to reach. However, he was not expecting Tex to choose that exact moment to nip at his ribcage, causing Lance to let out an awful bray of a laugh and nearly elbow the other man in the face. 

"Sorry." Tex ducked his head sheepishly. "Couldn't resist." 

Lance tried to cool his flush. What an ugly noise he'd just made. 

He hid his embarrassment by handing the bottle of lube over to Tex. He cleared his throat before flashing his most flirtatious smile. "Prep me?" 

Tex happily accepted the bottle and pressed a kiss to Lance's lips. "Sure thing, darlin'." 

And damn if that thick accent wouldn't be the death of him. 

He glanced down again. Among other things...

Lance let out a pleasured hiss as Tex slid into him, a delicious mix of pleasure and pain shooting up his spine. 

It had been a while... He needed to relax.

"You gotta relax," Tex echoed his thoughts. "Oh, darlin', I knew ya weren't ready yet."

Tex frowned down at him, a worried expression on his face. "I'll just-" 

"Don't you dare pull out," Lance threatened, gripping the other's shoulders. "I'm just... getting used to you," he explained. And it was true! It wasn't his fault that Tex was so... ahem, well endowed.

Perhaps Lance /had/ rushed him. He was just so eager and... Well, he just needed to be patient.

What was that thing Shiro always said?

"I'll wait until you're ready," Tex promised, planting a soft kiss on Lance's sweaty brow.

Lance melted - figuratively - and gave a long sigh, his limbs releasing their death grip. 

Tex grunted before burying his face in the crook of Lance's neck. "Better?" he rasped and Lance nodded. 

From there, Tex proved he wasn't as out of practice as he claimed. Either that or he was a natural. 

In any event, it was all Lance could do to hold on and enjoy the ride. 

Every slide of Tex's cock brought Lance closer to the edge. Blunt fingernails bit into Tex's shoulders, but that only spurred him on. 

"Lance, I'm close..." he nearly growled. 

And Lance couldn't even get the words out before he came, the intensity taking him completely by surprise. 

Tex followed right after, his fingers digging into Lance's hips as he spilled inside him. 

As Lance drifted in and out of consciousness, he suddenly pictured the condoms he kept in his lion, just in case.

Oh well, they'd talked about it first. Cleanup would just be a nightmare without a working shower. 

That was all. 

Once they caught their breath, Tex pulled back with a chuckle. "Wow," he breathed. 

"Yeah," Lance agreed. 

A beat passed and then Tex spoke. "Wanna go again?" 

Lance blinked and then smiled, looping his arms around Tex's neck and toying with the ends of his messy, silky hair. 

"Why, yes. Yes I do." 

Quite some time - and several wet wipes - later, Lance was still basking in the afterglow. 

Tex was good. /Real/ good. 

"So, you really did come from space?" Tex questioned, propping himself on his side to look at Lance.

"Promise you won't nut if I confirm that?" Lance teased. Honestly, this man's interest in the extraterrestrial bordered on xenophilia.

Not that Lance was one to judge. Besides, it suited his purposes just fine. Especially when he mentioned his ship during that last round.

Tex chuckled. "I promise. Though, honestly, I don't think I've got anything left in the tank." 

"I'll take that as a compliment," Lance replied. 

Tex pulled him in for another kiss and then rolled onto his back, gazing up at the ceiling. "Voltron, huh?" 

Lance figured, after everything they'd done, he could trust him. 

"Yup," he answered. "Giant space robot that defends the galaxy." He smirked. "We're kind of a big deal." 

"I'll bet." Tex was hanging on his every word, but doing a fine job feigning only mild interest. "And you're a leg?" 

"And sometimes an arm. Depending," Lance added. "I'm also the main source of our team's morale." 

"That right?" Tex snorted, but he was smiling fondly. 

Lance hummed in agreement. "I even came up with this little cheer and everything." He cleared his throat. "When I say Vol, you say Tron. Vol..." He looked to Tex expectantly. 

But Tex just blinked and managed a "...Voltron?" 

Lance froze for a second. He was hit with a wave of deja vu. 

Tex had seemed familiar before, but after that, Lance was suddenly putting it all together. 

The house in the desert.

The facial structure and build.

The hair. 

What did Tex say his real name was? Right. He hadn't. 

"Oh my sweet quiznak..." 

"Sorry," Tex apologized, misunderstanding why Lance was freaking out. "I'm not very good at those kinds of things." 

Just then, there was a knock at the front door. 

"I'd better get that," Tex excused himself, grabbing a pair of boxers and a shirt. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back." He winked. Winked! And Lance would have considered round... 5? 6? Anyway, his mind was still reeling. 

There's no way Lance had just...

But he had. Hadn't he? 

Two familiar voices drifted into the bedroom, their words muffled by the door. 

Of course Shiro and Keith chose this moment to find him.

What were the odds?! 

About as good as going back in time and accidentally sleeping with your rival's father. Yup.

Welp, it was time to face the music. Lance couldn't hide in Tex's bedroom forever. 

Well... maybe...

No, no! He couldn't! 

And so, Lance borrowed a pair of boxers and slipped on an oversized shirt. 

It was now or never. 

"Wait." He heard Tex's voice. "You're tellin' me that you're my son... from the future?" 

"I know it's hard to believe, but yes." It was Shiro who answered. 

"You saved my mother when she crash landed here." 

Uh oh. 

Apparently, Tex had the same thought. Because just as Lance walked into the room, he turned toward him with a confused expression on his face. 

"Lance, darlin', you can't, um... That is to say-" 

But Lance cut him off right there. "No, I can't and I'm definitely not Keith's mother, thank you very much."

There was an awkward silence that lasted just long enough for Keith to put two and two together. 

"What the quiznak, Lance!" he barked. "You fucked my dad?!" 

"Not on purpose!" Lance shouted back. "And technically, he fucked me. Well, the first three times and then-" 

"I can't believe you!" Keith lunged for Lance, but Shiro held him back. 

"Dude, it was an accident!" Lance hid behind Tex. "Not that I regret it, like, at all," he promised him and then faced Keith again. "But I didn't know he was your dad!" 

"Lance." Shiro held a hand up as if to signal he'd said enough. 

"Ugh!" Keith broke free, but just stood there, his fists balled at his sides. "I can't believe you. And after we searched for you. After I-" He shook his head. "Damn it, Lance." His voice cracked and Lance suddenly felt super guilty. 

"I, uh, better give you three a minute," Tex said. "I'll just go fix y'all a drink."

"I'll join you," Shiro volunteered, but Keith grabbed his armor, keeping him in the room. "We said we'd do this together." 

And some of Lance's guilt was replaced by curiosity. 

"Do what... exactly?" Lance questioned.

Keith took a deep breath, leveling Lance with his intense gaze. "Confess."

"...Confess?" Lance blinked. "To-" 

"You," Shiro sighed and then dropped his gaze. "We were planning to do it, but it never seemed like the right time." He looked up. "And then we were all separated and-"

"We thought you were passed out somewhere in the desert!" Keith snapped. "We tracked Blue to her last known location and searched-" he cut himself off with a growl. "Anyway, our Jeep died, so we walked here, hoping my dad had already built the house and that he had a hoverbike we could borrow." 

Lance wet his lips, unsure how to respond. Shiro and Keith had been looking for him? They could have looked for anyone first and they chose him?

They wanted to... confess.

"You guys... like me?" 

Keith, who had his mouth open to add something else, snapped it shut and blinked, an incredulous expression on his face. "That's..." 

"We do," Shiro answered, his gaze drifting over toward the kitchen. Surely, Tex had finished readying the drinks by now. 

Lance followed Shiro's gaze and then sighed. "And... now?" He looked at them, knowing he'd probably ruined things before they'd even had a chance to start. 

And... that's when Tex decided to walk back into the room, balancing four glasses of sweet tea in his arms. 

"I hope y'all don't mind the bottled stuff," he began, but grew quiet. He set the glasses down.

"Listen... Keith, was it?" 

"Dad, not now." 

Tex sighed and faced Lance. "So... guess you're from the future, huh?" 

Lance offered him a smile, weak though it may have been. "Did I fail to mention that?" 

Tex chuckled. "You did, yeah," he said. Then he drew closer, lifting a hand, but letting it hover a few inches from Lance's cheek. "Today was...nice. Real nice." 

Lance placed his hand over Tex's and pressed his cheek against his palm. "It was." 

"But...it'll never happen again, huh?" 

"Can't imagine my team would be okay with me staying in the past." He shrugged, giving another little smile.

"My time traveling space man," Tex cooed with a chuckle and Lance snorted. "And, hey, if you know my-" he paused "-son." He shook his head. That was probably the cherry on top of this bombshell sundae. "I'm sure we'll meet again."

Lance bit his lip. He'd never met Keith's father. That was part of the reason he hadn't realized who he was.

All Lance knew was that he'd died a hero before Keith had turned thirteen. 

"Dad, we... should talk." Keith stepped forward. 

"Keith-" Shiro began, but Keith shook his head.

"Nothing I say now will change the choices he makes," he assured him. "I just... want to talk to my dad." 

Lance stepped to the side, allowing them their moment. Hell, he even went as far as to escort Shiro outside, grabbing two glasses of tea on the way out.

"I'm glad he's getting a chance to talk to him," Lance broke the silence on the porch. 

"Closure is good," Shiro agreed. 

Lance hummed and took a sip. "So...I guess I should apologize-" 

"Lance," Shiro interrupted. "You couldn't have known." 

"Yeah. I mean, the hair should have been a dead giveaway, but-" 

"No." Shiro chuckled. "I mean, yes, but..." He took a deep breath. "About our feelings. Mine and Keith's." 

Lance swallowed. They were right. He was convinced they only had eyes for each other. 

"So... me?" he asked. 

Shiro gave another fond chuckle. "You," he confirmed. 

"Huh." But Lance was smiling. "And I didn't ruin it?" 

Shiro took a long sip of his tea. "Keith might take a... bit to recover." Shiro laughed in earnest. "But I think we'll be okay." He faced Lance. "If you wanna try?" 

Lance nudged Shiro with his shoulder. "If /I/ wanna try," he snorted. "Of course, I do." He looked up at Shiro. "I love you guys." 

Shiro bit his lip, his cheeks tinting. "Better wait for Keith to tell us that."

Oh. /Oh./ 

Lance would just have to confess again. 

A cool breeze blew, causing him to shiver. 

After he got his paladin suit back on. 

[ Epilogue ]

After months of courting and figuring things out, they'd finally done it. All three, one wild night - and morning. 

It was wonderful. Perfect. 

"That was... amazing," Shiro sighed. 

"Mmm," Keith agreed, wrapping an arm around Shiro and nuzzling into Lance's neck. "Nothing can ruin this moment." 

And Lance - because he was not about to stop teasing Keith just because he was in love with him - grinned. "Oh, I don't know..." 

Keith frowned and blinked up at him. "What? You got a complaint, Sharpshooter?" He was ready to tease right back. 

"No, no," Lance answered. "It's just..."

Keith sat up, causing Shiro to groan at the loss of warmth. "What?" 

"That's not how your dad used to do it." 

Silence. Dead silence.

And perhaps Lance had played that card too soon.

Or perhaps he never should have made that joke. Ever. 

But then Keith snarled, playfully, and pounced, pinning Lance to the bed. 

"Oh, get ready," he threatened with a toothy smirk. "Mr. Time Traveling Space Man." 

Okay. They were good. 

Though...Lance might not be.

**Author's Note:**

> Pfft. These boys. 
> 
> Man, copy and pasting this tweet by tweet on my phone was a Challenge(tm) But I hope you all enjoyed it! 
> 
> Check out my other threads on Twitter @bySharkGirl~


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